


surprise

by sleepyghostships



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Galra Keith (Voltron), Kinda, M/M, Mpreg, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-06 05:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17934014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyghostships/pseuds/sleepyghostships
Summary: In which Allura receives some unexpected news from her best friend and is in disbelief about the entire thing.





	surprise

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a part of a much bigger oneshot but I know I'll never finish it so...here you go! I figured this scene could be a standalone ^^
> 
> The only things needed to understand what's going on is that Allura and Lance are best friends, Lance married Keith as part of a peace treaty, Allura didn't approve of the marriage since she knew Lance wanted to marry for love, not for political reasons. 
> 
> This particular scene takes place after Lance and Keith have already fallen in love!

“What?”

 

Allura stares blankly at the communication screen, where her best friend fidgets nervously under her gaze. Surely, she couldn’t have heard that correctly. Her ears must be playing tricks on her… yeah. Yeah! That must be it! She has been feeling a bit dizzy lately, so she’ll probably have to make an appointment with the doctor pretty soon; they can look into this little inconvenience and have it fixed in no time. However, as Lance grows more and more anxious in front of the camera, that unsettling feeling in her gut is telling her that, no, it’s not her hearing that’s the problem this time around.

 

“Y-You’re actually-” She can’t believe she’s actually going to say this. “Pregnant?”

 

The guilty upturn of Lance’s mouth and the purple blush that fills his face is all the confirmation she needs. 

 

Allura splutters. “Wha-How- I mean… _When? How?_ _What happened?”_

 

Despite the question being asked, Allura can already guess how this incident could have come to be. Lance’s appearance provides more than enough proof. She holds her tongue though because she needs to hear the words come out from Lance’s mouth. 

 

Lance scratches his cheek with a clawed finger, letting out a chuckle of embarrassment before he composes himself. He clasps his hands together and speaks in that tone he usually reserves for children. “Well, you see, dear princess, when two people love each other very much, they-”

 

“ _ Lance _ ,” Allura interrupts, exasperated but relieved that even after his life-changing discovery, Lance still finds it in himself to joke around. It’s probably how he coped with his marriage at first. No, scratch that. That’s  _ exactly _ how he coped with it.

The prince laughs at his sister’s unimpressed face. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you for real this time. But I’m gonna start at the beginning because if we’re going to do this, then we’re going to do this right!”

 

The camera shifts, presumably to be placed in a steady yet high enough surface for Lance to act out his story, and the prince slowly backs away until his full body is in view. His tail swishes behind him with every step. 

 

Instinctively, Allura’s eyes dart towards his stomach, searching for any evidence of his new condition, but snaps her attention back as Lance begins his tale. 

 

“So, there I was just minding my own business when I just so happened to bump into ol’ Grandpa Kolivan.” A giggle escapes the princess’ lips, still unbelieving that the intimidating Kolivan, who towers Lance by over two feet, would be called by such an affectionate nickname. 

“And I thought, hey! I haven’t seen this guy in quintents, we should catch up a little bit! So I walk up to him, say hi and ask him how he’s been. And he’s like-” Lance stands straight and crosses his arm, eyes blank and a deep frown etching his face. “‘Lance, it’s good to see you. I have nothing to report, but you’ve come at just the right time. I need a favor from you.’”

 

“See,” Lance says. “At this point, I’m startled because Grandpa Kolivan never asks for favors, especially from me, unless it’s part of some super dangerous and high-risk mission. Heck, even then, he doesn’t really ask, more like orders the other Marmorites to do stuff, so-”

 

“Lance,” Allura cuts in, amused. “You’re rambling just like Pidge.” 

 

“Hey! This is all very important information, okay? I’m getting there.” He clears his throat and continues, “So, anyway, I ask him what the favor was, and he tells me that Keith has been pretty stressed lately—“

 

“Oh, I see where this is going.”

 

“And apparently,” Lance says, ignoring her interruption. “He’s been locking himself up in the training deck and taking out his frustrations on the gladiators. He wanted me to help him unwind a bit and, of course, I said ‘sure!’” 

 

“A bit eager to agree, aren’t you?”

 

“Let me finish my story!” Lance whines. 

 

Allura answers him exasperatedly, “Trust me, there’s no need. Kolivan most likely asked you to seduce Keith, am I correct? And  _ obviously _ ” —she wiggles her eyebrows—“here you are, bearing the fruits of your labor.”

 

Lance chokes and fumbles to save face. “No!  _ No _ . What even—Get your dirty mind out of the gutter!” Allura cackles. “He just wanted me to distract him so that Keith wouldn’t be suspicious!”

 

“Uh huh,” Allura says, still unconvinced. “Sure.”

 

“I swear it wasn’t like that at all!” A beat. “...At first.”

 

“Oh my-“ 

 

“Hey! You can’t blame me, okay? I believe the saying is that it takes” —Lance holds up two fingers towards the screen— “ _ two  _ to tango. I was following Grandpa Kolivan’s plan perfectly!  _ Keith _ was the one who started it…”

 

As he says that, his eyes gloss over and his lips part as he undoubtedly remembers what had transpired between him and his husband however many nights ago. Allura blushes and hastily snaps her fingers in front of the screen. 

 

“Now  _ you _ get your dirty mind out of the gutter!” The princess shivers and pinches the space between her eyes. “Ugh, I can live without imagining what you do to your husband behind closed doors. Don’t force me to an early death,  _ please _ .” 

 

Lance merely sticks his tongue out at her. After a moment, she gestures back to him. “Continue.” 

 

Lance does so. “Okay, so Kolivan sends Keith on a-” He air-quotes. “- ‘mission,’ but it’s secretly just a scam to get him away from Daibazaal. He told him that he was supposed to retrieve something very important on this planet, like Intel or whatever, but what he didn’t know was that yours truly was gonna meet him there. In disguise, of course.”

 

Lance gestures to his body proudly, showing off his sparkly blue skin, boldly outlined feline eyes and his dark shaggier hair. Through the screen, Allura can tell that he also gained a few inches in height. 

 

“I’m impressed,” she says. “That form really suits you.”

 

“Haha, I know, right? Keith thought so, too. He actually recognized me when I met up with him, and, uhh...then one thing led to another and…”

 

“And here we are.”

 

“Yup,” Lance says, popping the ‘p’ at the end. They stay quiet after that, not really sure what to say. When she feels the beginning stages of awkwardness creep in, Allura clears her throat. 

 

“Does Keith know?”

 

Lance nods. “First person I told.”

 

“And was he also surprised? That he actually knocked you up?” 

 

“More than surprised. Probably would’ve passed out if I wasn’t in the room with him.”

 

“Oh my.”

 

“Haha, yeah. You know that seahorse thing Shiro told us about, where the males carry the babies? So for this species,  _ e’rrbody _ gets a baby. The things shapeshifting class doesn’t tell you.” Lance places his arms on his hips and shakes his head in mock disapproval. 

 

“Is that why you haven’t shifted back to normal yet?”

 

A nod of the head. “Mm-hm. I don’t wanna, you know, risk anything if I do that.”

 

“Mm, well, congratulations, Lance.”

 

His eyes flicker towards the screen before settling down on his stomach, hands already placing themselves on the flatness of it. 

 

“Thanks,” he murmurs, so low that Allura just barely catches the end of it. Her brows knit in concern. An indescribable expression look takes over Lance’s face and— wow. Like lightning, it clicks just how young Lance really is. Oh, gosh. The initial shock of the news had distracted her so much that Allura didn’t even consider how fast this all actually happened. 

 

There is only a two year difference between them, and now the universe is making Lance have a baby? Allura barely qualifies as an adult herself! How must Lance be feeling, knowing that in a few months, he’ll have to take care of a tiny and defenseless child for the rest of his life? 

 

He must be terrified. 

 

“Lance,” she starts. “Are you alright?” 

 

At the quizzical look he gives her, she clarifies. “Do you want this? Do you feel like you’re ready for this… kind of commitment? You’re so young…” 

 

The words taste familiar on her tongue, seeing as it’s the same question she asked him before, at his wedding. Despite how things have changed since then, the fact still stands that Lance wasn’t given a choice in the matter. 

 

But this… this is something that he can decide for himself. Whatever decision he makes, there is no one that can force him to choose otherwise. Allura wants him to have that choice. 

 

“Honestly?” Lance says, meeting her gaze. “I’m… not so sure. I don’t think it really sunk in yet that this is happening, you know?” He rubs tiny circles against his abdomen. “I mean, this is so weird! There is literally something—someone— growing inside me right now, and it’s going to pop out and call me Papa or Dad, and…” 

 

He pauses. Allura recognizes it as one of those times his imagination takes over him like a vision. Lance had once described to her that it was like sitting in a movie theatre, and you can’t help but watch until the end because it’s grip on you was strong and unyielding. 

 

Whatever he is seeing right now, it appears to be a good thing. 

 

Then, just a little bit, the edges of his lips twitch upward. Once, twice, before it blossoms into a small yet genuine smile. “And they’re probably going to grow up into this really cool person who knows how to throw knives and shoot stuff and other cool junk like that…”

 

“Lance?”

 

“I… can’t truthfully answer your question, but-“ Their eyes met, blues filled with anticipation and fear, but mostly resolve. “I can’t really find it in myself to regret anything that led up to here.” 

 

It’s that line that gets her.

 

Allura blinks in surprise as the familiar burning sensation settles behind her eyes. Lance’s outline starts to blur, and she quickly bats one stray tear from her cheek. Lance chuckles at her attempts to compose herself as more tears come forth until he’s basically choking in laughter and crying as well. At some point, Allura finds herself laughing along, giving up and letting the tears fall freely. 

 

Ha. Wow. Guess she really needed to hear that. 

 

…

 

Instead of the usual nine months of pregnancy, it only takes Lance three to go into labor. And instead of a baby, he pops out an egg. 

 

“Geez, Lance,” Hunk chuckles, peering in closer to get a better look. “You gonna have some giant bacon to go with that?”

 

“ _ That _ is my  _ child! _ ” Lance screeches from where he sat on the ground and tightens his hold around his...kid. The egg is about the size of a tiny balmeran crystal, fitting perfectly in its father’s arms, but it’s wide enough that Lance’s fingers barely graze each other as they meet in the middle. 

 

Allura winces inwardly. Yikes. How Lance ever managed to push that thing out will forever remain a mystery to her. 

 

Pidge joins Hunk in inspecting the (unborn? Unhatched?) baby. The shell itself has a rather smooth texture, with a green polka-dot pattern, and it glistens wherever the light shone. It’s eye-catching and clearly demands attention, and for that, there is no doubt that it is definitely Lance’s. 

 

Pidge’s nose scrunches as she adjusts her glasses. “You know, at this point, I want to say that I’m not even fazed by this kinda thing anymore, but  _ damn.”  _ She lightly pokes the top of the egg. “This looks just like a pokemon egg!”

 

Lance blanches and turns towards his husband. “Quiznak! Keith, what if this thing doesn’t even have a baby?! What if it’s like some sort of animal or even worse— _ yolk! _ ”

 

_ Poor Lance, _ Allura thinks as she watches this scene unfold. She didn’t think either one of the new parents had any rest since Lance’s labor and, to be honest, neither did she. An emergency call had awoken her early the day before, informing her that Lance was experiencing extreme pain in his abdomen and had to be rushed to space hospital. She remembers how the next eight hours were spent anxiously pacing the floor of her bedroom and waiting for any updates on her friend’s condition. In fact, both her and Coran were just about ready to wormhole to Daibaazal when both Lance and Keith suddenly barged in through the front door. 

 

They had both looked so frazzled, and Lance had held up the egg and screamed, “This wasn’t supposed to happen!” 

 

Eggs weren’t supposed to come out of Alteans. Needless to say, this called for a family meeting. 

 

A cold metallic hand rests itself on the panicking prince’s shoulder. “Calm down, Lance,” Shiro tells him soothingly. “I’m sure that’s not the case at all.” 

 

Beside him, Keith groans tiredly and runs his hand through his hair, messing it up even more. His locks stick out in every direction, resembling that of a bird’s nest, and his eyes look sunken and red from lack of sleep. The dark bags don’t help his appearance much. 

 

“Allura,” he mumbles, gaining her attention. “Any idea where Coran went?”

 

“He said he was going to get your baby gifts from his room,” she answers. “Oh, and also a blanket. He didn’t want it to get cold.”

 

“Bless that man,” Lance sniffles, accepting Shiro‘s hand and getting up to stand next to Keith. 

 

“If you want, I’ll have him meet you at the guest rooms. That way you guys can sleep after everything’s been sorted out.” 

 

“ _ Thank you.”  _

 

The couple leaves with Hunk and Pidge trailing behind them and the chatter slowly fades as they walk away, leaving only Shiro and Allura in the quiet. It’s been a while since they’ve been alone together, and Allura finds that she quite missed his company. Shiro provides the easy companionship that Coran and Lance do, so she’ll savor it while she can. 

 

After a few ticks, Shiro quietly coughs into his hand and turns towards her. 

 

“So,” he says in an attempt at conversation. “That was pretty wild, huh?” 

 

A chuckle escapes Allura’s lips. “Tell me about it. I never know what to expect anymore with those two. I mean, leave it to them to mess up something like  _ pregnancy.”  _

 

Shiro laughs. “Yeah, makes me wonder what they’ll tell the kid once they’re older.” 

 

“They won’t be getting any help from me, that’s for sure.” A shake of the head. “Well, whatever they come up with, it’ll be just as crazy and unexpected as their relationship.” 

 

“I won’t argue with you there.” 

 

Images of Keith and Lance attempting and failing to give their kid the sex talk flash through their minds, prompting some powerful and tear jerking guffaws. It leaves them wheezing and clutching at their stomachs as their sides ache, albeit in a good way. 

 

Shiro is the first to recover as he stands straight and wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. He then asks Allura, “How do you feel? Knowing you’ll become an aunt pretty soon?” 

 

The question takes her by surprise. Honestly, the thought had never really crossed her mind at all these past three months. Perhaps, in her subconscious, the child had been labeled ‘family,’ but thinking about it now, it had been more ‘Lance’s family’ than hers. 

 

“I didn’t really think about it,” Allura answers truthfully. “I guess I just never saw myself as ‘aunt’ material.” 

 

Shiro’s eyes widen. “Really?” 

 

“Yeah, I’ve never been that fond of children, you see. Ever since that one incident with Coran and a corrupted wormhole, I figured that it’s best I keep my distance from diapers and temper tantrums.” 

 

“You shouldn’t sell yourself short just yet, Princess. Knowing Lance, I’m sure he’ll make the kid love you one way or another.” 

 

Knowing him, he probably would. Allura sighs in mock defeat. “You’re right as always...Space Dad.” 

 

“ _ Oh _ my gosh.” Shiro shakes his head in exasperation. “Who told you that? Was it Lance? Pidge?  _ Keith?”  _

 

Allura’s laugh quickly turns into a yawn and, suddenly, she’s feeling just as tired as she should be. Shiro notices. 

 

He brings his hand to rest on her arm and guides her towards the direction of the hallway. “You should go get some rest.”

 

“But what about the others? Lance and Keith might need my help and…” Another yawn. A gentle yet firm tug on her elbow. Somehow, she manages to lead Shiro to her room, where she ends up cocooned in her blanket and ready conk out. The blurry outline of the bodyguard stands in her peripheral vision. A hand tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

 

“Don’t worry about them, Princess,” he tells her as her eyes droop lower and lower. “They’re a good team. They can handle anything.”

 

Yeah. They really were, weren’t they?


End file.
